Perfect Agent [EN]: Chapter 229

229. Preparation Complete (1)

Even while the ten baseball clubs were engaged in spring training, numerous articles were being published about them.

Most of these articles focused on the prospects for the upcoming season.

The players who featured most prominently in these articles were Oh Seok-hoon, Park Seong-joo, and Han Gyo-jin.

Oh Seok-hoon, in particular, garnered the most attention as he was preparing to return from his injury.

The fact that he was set to be the biggest name in the free agency (FA) market at the end of this season was another reason why people couldn’t help but be interested.

└Even now, his batting skills are top-class in the country. Does this mean he can get even better if he focuses?

└It seems like he’s bulked up a lot? Since it’ll be hard to maintain his speed, it looks like he’s trying to focus on home runs next year.

└So, we won’t be able to see him achieve 20 home runs and 20 stolen bases anymore? ㅠ

└Honestly, it’ll be difficult for him to show the same speed as before. But it’ll still be fun to watch him hit those powerful long balls.

└But isn’t there a risk of his hamstring injury recurring if he bulks up too much??

└If he just bulks up, that could happen, but if he builds his body with good balance, he should be fine.

└Hey, do you think Kang Hyun-woo and the Buffaloes don’t know that? They’ll take care of it.

└If this change is successful, then his FA jackpot is as good as guaranteed, just as expected.

└Will he really be able to go to Major League Baseball (MLB) next year?

└As a domestic baseball fan, I’d love for him to go, but as a Buffaloes fan, I just want him to stay ㅠㅠ

Park Seong-joo, who would also become a free agent after this season along with Oh Seok-hoon, also received a lot of attention.

He had the skills to be a cleanup hitter [a team’s best power hitter, typically batting 3rd or 4th in the lineup] on any team, and since he would still be in his early 30s even after next season, his age made him even more competitive, making him a desirable player for all clubs.

└Oh Seok-hoon and Park Seong-joo are both FAs… The minimum total amount will be over 10 billion won [approximately $7.5 million USD]. Can the Buffaloes keep both of them?

└There were rumors that both of them are planning to challenge for MLB. According to a reliable source, they are preparing in a consortium with another agency, and some clubs are already closely observing them.

└If the 3rd and 4th hitters leave, the Buffaloes are doomed ㄷㄷㄷ I want to support our players going to MLB as much as possible, but it’s too much for the Buffaloes if they leave at the same time ㅠㅠ

└The Buffaloes’ parent company needs to step in this time. It’ll be absolutely impossible with the usual budget.

└Even if the parent company steps in, I don’t think they can win against MLB in a money fight?

└Instead, they should offer a super long-term contract to win. There’s a low chance that MLB will offer more than 6 years.

No less fervent was the interest in Han Gyo-jin.

The reason why so much content about Han Gyo-jin suddenly appeared was thanks to Michael Scott.

Michael Scott seemed to feel comfortable, and he decided to work with Han Gyo-jin as his battery partner [pitcher and catcher duo] starting this season.

During the agency’s training camp, Han Gyo-jin caught his pitches, and they had many conversations, which made it clear that they had become close.

Unless either he or Michael Scott got injured or suffered a serious slump in batting, Han Gyo-jin would be able to put his name on the first-team lineup.

└Han Gyo-jin, it’s been a while since I’ve heard that name. I think I heard it often when he first joined, but I don’t remember hearing it recently.

└I think he went to the military. He joined Dream Agency as soon as he was discharged.

└I think he was a highly touted catching prospect in the draft. Hasn’t he grown in the last few years?

└The catcher position usually takes a long time to develop. It’s great if you can get into the first-team lineup in 4-5 years after your debut. Moreover, if Michael Scott is going to be his exclusive catcher, there’s nothing more to say.

└But why does Scott insist on having an exclusive catcher? I think he just matched up with whoever was available last year.

└Scott’s pitches are basically fast and not very precise, so the catcher often misses them. And there were quite a few cases where the ball distribution didn’t match well.

└And Han Gyo-jin was a hitting machine in the minor league. He’s also good at keeping runners in check. For reference, his caught stealing rate is 40%, and his pop time [time from catch to throw to second base] is in the mid to late 1.8 seconds.

└Then why haven’t they used him in the first team until now? He seems like he could easily pay for himself just by looking at his hitting tools.

└Until he enlisted, his framing [art of making a pitch look like a strike] and blocking weren’t good. But he’s not valuable enough to be used as a designated hitter [a player who bats in place of another position player, typically the pitcher].

└Then why does he insist on being a catcher when he could easily switch positions? I don’t know.

└Catchers are usually very attached to their position. There are more than a few players who couldn’t accept the team’s request to change positions and ended up retiring.

As much as the players who were receiving the hot attention of all baseball fans, other players in our agency were also in the spotlight.

In particular, interviews with So Young-joon and Choi Jung-hwan excited Pelicans and Doubles fans.

└If So Young-joon can add a .300 batting average and 20 home runs to the defense he showed last year, wouldn’t he be the best shortstop in the country?

└If that happens, he should be given the Golden Glove [award for best defensive player at each position].

└So Young-joon’s only weakness is that his team is the Pelicans ㅠ His career would have been different if he was on another team.

└Even if he refused the trade, please go to another team when you become a free agent. The Pelicans fans will understand.

└Doubles, at least, can now watch the 9th inning comfortably. Choi Jung-hwan’s transition to closer [relief pitcher who specializes in pitching the final inning] was a divine move.

└I admit that it’s refreshing to watch him throw fastballs over 150km/h [approximately 93 mph]. It’s so satisfying when he strikes out batters with a fastball right down the middle.

└Looking at last season, it’s safe to say that he has completely mastered his fastball control? At this point, it’s almost certain that he’ll be selected for the national team.

└But honestly, relying on a mid to late 150km/h fastball to record saves [preventing the opposing team from tying the game or taking the lead] is only possible in Korea. That speed is familiar to players in other countries. He’ll definitely get hit without breaking balls [pitches that move in unpredictable ways].

└Whatever, everything is impossible. He can develop it this season. Then who is a young pitcher in our league who shows more potential as a closer than Choi Jung-hwan right now?

Articles about our players continued to pour out even while spring training was underway.

Many fans were looking forward to seeing how spectacular Donald Watson, who had perfectly adapted to the domestic league, would perform next season.

The main concern was which team would win this season.

Not only the Wolves, who were aiming for their third consecutive league title, and the Dragons, who had been maintaining their top ranks recently, but also the Buffaloes, who would benefit from Oh Seok-hoon and Park Seong-joo’s FA effect, and the Jaguars with Michael Scott and Donald Watson, who wanted to decorate the end of their Korean careers in style.

A fiercer competition than ever before was predicted.

As February passed and March began, the clubs that had finished spring training began to return home one by one.

* * *

One day before the exhibition game.

I visited Professor Park Jung-joon with Oh Seok-hoon.

Oh Seok-hoon had been systematically undergoing a rehabilitation program since last winter, and he hadn’t felt any pain during training, so there was no need to worry.

But I wanted to make sure and proceed with certainty, just in case.

I could guess the answer to some extent from the expression on Park Jung-joon’s face as he checked the test results.

“Seok-hoon, it looks like you’ve been working hard on your rehabilitation this time?”

Park Jung-joon smiled at Oh Seok-hoon and asked.

“Professor, I thought I was going crazy because it was so hard during rehabilitation training.”

“It seems like it was worth working so hard that you went crazy. Very good.”

Park Jung-joon replied with a pleased expression.

This time, I asked a question.

“Then is it okay for him to play normally in games now?”

“Well, his current physical condition is not much different from before he was injured, so I don’t think there will be any major problems.”

“Whew- that’s a relief.”

I was finally able to let out a sigh of relief.

“But you know that there is a high possibility of hamstring recurrence, right? You have to be careful because the pain can suddenly come on during the game, even if you’re fine.”

“I understand.”

“Never forget to stretch enough before starting training. Now you need to refrain from playing too hard. It won’t be easy if your competitive spirit kicks in, but you still have to control it.”

Park Jung-joon urged, not hiding his concern.

“Yes. I will keep that in mind.”

Oh Seok-hoon nodded and replied.

Park Jung-joon looked at me this time and continued.

“And it would be good for CEO Kang to tell the team coach to give Seok-hoon enough rest if they judge that he is in a situation with high fatigue. The club has to help too.”

“I will pass it on.”

Park Jung-joon’s expression brightened a little, as if he was relieved when I nodded without hesitation.

“We have to help Seok-hoon go to MLB next year.”

“Hoo- I’ll do my best to prepare too.”

Oh Seok-hoon took a deep breath and nodded.

“If you do well this season without getting injured, you’ll have good results.”

Park Jung-joon gave Oh Seok-hoon a deep smile.

When the treatment was over, Oh Seok-hoon and I said goodbye to Park Jung-joon and went outside.

* * *

Oh Seok-hoon and I were heading to the parking lot to return to the agency’s accommodation.

Now, I couldn’t feel any discomfort in Oh Seok-hoon’s walking.

“Seok-hoon, you’ve worked hard for months rehabilitating.”

“Hoo- I’m never going to get hurt again. Rehabilitation is several times harder than training.”

Oh Seok-hoon squeezed his eyes shut and shook his head.

“As the professor said, if you stretch well when preparing before the game and be careful during the game, there won’t be any major problems. And if you feel tired during the season, you have to tell me right away. It’s more important to play full-time without getting hurt than playing one more game.”

“Yes, I’ll be sure to tell you.”

I was planning to manage him by checking the information window periodically, but it would be much better for him to judge and decide for himself.

As Oh Seok-hoon and I were about to leave the hospital,

“Oh!”

I felt something hit my leg.

Thump.

I heard someone falling to the ground,

“Ah!”

I clearly heard the sound of a child.

I was startled and turned my head to look.

There was a child who had bumped into me, falling on his butt.